Infections of a Different Kind | Closed

By now, Thor had acclimated himself to the bustle of New York City. Maybe acclimated wasn’t the most correct term for how he felt toward the city or how he maneuvered around it. Perhaps, it was more along the lines of the the fact that he, and his people, now called Midgard their home. It was because of his affiliation with the Avengers that the Asgardians were given permission to make a particular land called Norway their home. At one time, Norway—and a few other countries—had revered Thor, Odin, Frigga, and even Loki, to some extent. There was a bit of a revival, what with Thor and Loki making themselves known to the Midgardians, but he was certain the Asgardians that had fled Asgard would not find trouble there.

The very reason for Thor’s journey to the city was to see these Avengers and work alongside them. With Hela and Ragnarok no longer a threat to them and with Midgard made home for the people he ruled over, he was determined to throw himself into aiding the Avengers whenever they called. Midgard was no longer merely just a realm to Thor. It now was the home of New Asgard.

He had attempted to dress as inconspicuously as possible, as to avoid any unwanted attention. Thor was on a mission to get to the Avengers tower as soon as he could. With his hair shorter than the Midgardians had last seen him with and clothes considered fashionable by them, he did a good job at blending in. Of course, there were a few off glances from people who seemed as though they thought they recognized them, then seemed to think otherwise. For someone who had once loved attention and hearing the regaling of his battles and triumphs, Thor knew now that any extra attention at this moment would deter him from swiftly addressing the trouble he had been presented with.

---

The only thing Astrid could keep thinking was that this place, Midgard, seemed so…lackluster compared to Asgard. Everything lacked vibrancy, lacked color, and lacked life. Norway, for as beautiful as it may have been, lacked everything to Astrid. She might have been less critical of the place, had her father survived to see it. She was the only child of Rangar Thorinson. Her mother had died when she was just a child and could barely remember her. Her father had been everything to her, and she was his everything. Ragnar, in his time, had been a fearsome warrior, teaching Astrid everything she knew. But time had not been kind to him and his strength failed him.

So when Hela raised her legions of undead Einherjar, Ragnar did not have a chance of defending himself. Astrid had attempted to save them both and now had a long slash down the length of her cheek to show for it. Heimdall found them in time to slay the Einherjar, but it was too late for Ragnar. Though he had tried to fight, a sword through one’s stomach was enough to fell even the strongest of warriors.

Astrid kept her gaze out into the distance, out into the seemingly endless sea that sprawled out from beneath the high cliff she had perched herself on with her legs dangling carelessly over the edge. The wind ruffled at her copper hair and the blood-splattered, forest green gown she had refused to take off, her father’s sword forgotten some distance away from her in the tall grass. She could hear the rest of the Asgardians close by, marveling at what would be their new home. It felt less than a marvel to her and more like a sentence for a crime she did not commit. Though, without her father by her side, she was certain no realm would satisfy her.

@ salander.

Victoria Marshall had always been odd. Growing up she'd been very intelligent, always the top of her class, even skipping a few grades in elementary and middle school, graduating early and going on to be the top of her class at a prestigious college, graduating with an BA in History and Philosophy. Now, at the age of 22, she was in New York City to work on her second Master's degree primarily, but had also started frequenting the Avenger's Tower, on account of her powers acting up.

Somehow, whether she was exposed to some sort of radiation, or just affected by chance, she had developed some super powers, mostly psychic in nature, which she had little control over, and also caused her quite a lot of pain. Upon examination and testing done by both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, it had been discovered that along with her super intelligence and learning capacities, she had developed the ability to steal the powers and abilities of other people. This had been discovered when, upon shaking Steve Rogers' hand when they were being introduced, she developed super strength for the next hour and a half, and also resulted in her reliving all of his memories in a matter of seconds. Whenever she relieved someone's memories, it usually caused her great pain and ended with her having a migraine for the next few hours, Tony hypothesizing that it was because her brain couldn't handle all of the stimulation at once. He and Bruce were close to pinning down the source of her powers, however, and were working on a device that would be able to suppress them, as they not only wanted to keep her from injuring herself, but also secretly worried about what would happen if the powers she stole ever became permanently part of her. Until that time when they had everything figured out, she was instructed to wear special gloves, and to not have any physical contact with anyone known to have super powers, unless approves by Tony or Bruce for experimental purposes.

This afternoon, she was hurrying into Avenger's Tower like she always did, having come straight from her morning class on the other side of the city. Despite the warm weather, she was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, a pair of bright red converse on her feet, a scarf around her neck, and the special gloves that Tony had helped to develop on her hands. She slipped through the crowds of people attempting to get into the building, showing a security guard at the entrance a clearance badge before rushing to the elevator, barely making it before the doors closed.

----

While his brother was in New York, answering the call of the Avengers, Loki remained in Norway with the other Asgardians, attempting to help them settle into their new home. While he was not directly meeting and talking with any of the Midgardian politicians on account of his rough relationship with the people of Earth, he was instructing others on what to say and how to act, and the settlement of New Asgard was coming along quiet well.

He missed his home, however, and despite attempting to keep his mind off of it with the work he was doing to help everyone settle in, in the moments where he wasn't busy his heart ached for the place he grew up.

One of those times was now. He had finished with his business for the day, and despite his efforts to help with the construction of some of the buildings that were beginning to take shape, he was told his assistance wasn't needed, and so he'd gone wandering around the settlement, pretending not to be thinking of his home. He ended up wandering over to the cliff, the same cliff where he had watched his father, Odin, die such a short time ago, and where he'd first met his sister, Hela. He frowned as he looked out across the ocean, taking a seat near the edge of the cliff.

Once Thor had reached the tall spire of glass and metal that was Avengers tower, he stepped into the lobby and immediately strode past security. The God of Thunder and, now, King of Asgard, clearly needed no sort of introduction or clearance to gain admittance into the building, even with his slightly different outward appearance. Cordially, Thor offered a nod of acknowledgment to those who he recognized as he strode through the grand lobby toward the elevators. He watched as a woman slipped into the one he’d initially wanted to travel by just before the door closed. A soft huff of air left him before he turned to the other elevator.

He managed to secure a place upon it before it lifted itself up to almost the tip-top of the building. For how garish Thor thought the outside of the building was, it offered rather beautiful views of the sprawl of the city. He could see why Tony Stark had a slight air to him that made him lift his head high and stride through life with a certain amount of confidence. Life at such a height made one feel important and powerful. The elevator soon came to a stop at the floor which he knew the unsaid leaders of the Avengers would be.

Captain Rogers was the first one that had spotted him after he had exited the elevator and stepped out onto the floor. The two exchanged a cordial nod and Thor strode over to him.

“So, I trust you got the situation you had told us about under control,” the super solder commented once the two of them were close enough to speak without yelling at each other. Thor offered Captain Rogers a small smile and another nod.

“Yes, Hela will no longer be a threat to Midgard,” he replied. Despite being proud of himself for managing to save the majority of Asgardians, there was a bittersweet element that lingered around him. The home he’d always known was now swallowed in a battle of death and fire. It was tough for him to remember that Asgard was not just a place, but that Asgard lived on in the Asgardian people.

---

Astrid let her eyes slip shut for a few moments as she let the cool breeze wash over her skin and take in the warmth of the sun on her skin, but even that felt watered down. She drew in a deep breath of air and her eyes opened to gaze down at the dark waters beneath her. At the back of her mind, she was chastising herself in a voice that oddly sounded like her father’s. She knew that her father wouldn’t have wanted to live the rest of her existence mourning over him or to not realize that she had been given a chance at a new life.

Her throat suddenly felt thick and she pushed the tears that were inevitably building up within her eyes back. She’d cried enough since she’d reached safety and was tired of it. Swallowing hard past the knot in her throat, Astrid wiped away the few tears that had streaked her cheeks, not even wincing as her fingertips brushed over the tender cut on her cheek. With a huff of air, she stood, standing at the edge for a moment before turning to find something else to do with her time rather than skulk. Maybe if she kept her mind occupied, she’d have less time to think of the heaviness in her heart that only seemed to be weighing more and more.

As she turned, her gaze landed on Prince Loki and a small frown pulled at her features. He wasn’t well liked amongst the Asgardians, but he’d proven his worth—at least this time—when fighting off Hela. Astrid could appreciate the effort. She noted the frown on his features and his gaze stretching out across to a similar point where her gaze had been focused just moments before.

Without really knowing why, her feet quietly carried her over to him, where she dropped into a low curtsy. “Your highness,” she spoke softly, voice slightly raspy with lack of use. Slowly, she righted herself, but kept her gaze at the grass before her. Drawing in a deep breath of air, she continued. “Do you have need of anything?”

.

@ salander.

Victoria arrived on the same floor just a few moments before the King of Asgard, and stood off near the entrance to one of the many laboratories in the building with Bruce and Tony, politely chatting with Dr. Banner while Tony waved some sort of scanner around her head, frowning a little as he read the results before inspecting the gloves that she had been wearing, the young woman rubbing her hands together, glad to finally have the awful things off.

Tony's attention turned to Thor once he walked in, a grin forming on his face as he made his way over to him and Steve. "Good afternoon, your majesty. Bruce has been telling me about your latest adventure. Sorry to hear about your hammer." He said, shaking his hand before moving to a bar to grab a coffee. "You want anything?" He asked, gesturing to both Thor and Victoria.

Victoria shook her head, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear when it fell into her eyes. "No, thank you. I think Dr. Banner wants to get started on the scans." She said, glancing over at Thor momentarily, before her attention was drawn back to Bruce, who was opening the door to the lab and leading her inside. She had heard bits and pieces of what had happened to Thor's home world, and felt terrible for him. But, because of Tony's fear of her powers, he had suggested that she keep away from Thor and the other more powerful Avengers, which seemed reasonable to her, especially until they helped her get her powers under control.

She laughed, a light and happy sound, at some corny joke Banner made as they walked into the lab, setting her bag down before moving to take her usual seat near the scanner, letting Banner place the various sensors and monitors on her before beginning the testing.

---

Loki looked up when he heard someone address him, frowning a bit at the formality. "No, I'm quite alright." He said with a soft smile, glancing over the Asgardian woman in front of him, frowning a bit when he saw the blood on her dress. He knew that not everyone trusted him, and despite his knack for tricks and mischief, he wanted to aid his brother, and knew that causing trouble would only cause problems for the displaced Asgardians.

"Do you need me to get you anything? New clothes, perhaps? A blanket?" He asked as he stood, brushing some dried grass and dirt from his pants as he looked at her with a small frown. Like the other Asgardians, she looked sad, but she seemed to not be handling it as well as some of the others were, based on the sound of her voice and her appearance. "Do you have any family? Someone who can watch after you?"

It took all his willpower for Thor not to roll his eyes at the fact that Tony had called him ‘your majesty’. While he’d been referred to as royalty all his life, it felt odd coming from anyone other than the Asgardians. It sounded especially odd when the Avengers referred to him as such, as he very much regarded them as equals. His stomach dropped a bit at the mention of Mjolnir, as he still felt very much beside himself without it, even if he had figured out that the hammer did not dictate how and when he could wield his powers. The god merely gave Tony a tight smile as he shook his hand, nodding once. “Turns out I didn’t really need it anyways,” he replied, managing to keep the smile on his face.

Tony’s question and movement of his hands brought his attention to the young woman in the room, one whom he hadn’t seen around the Avengers tower before. Thor knew he’d been greatly distracted the past few months, but he didn’t realize just how much time he’d spent away from Midgard. “No, thank you,” he replied to Tony with another nod of his head. His gaze darted from the billionaire genius to the woman for a moment as she mentioned getting started on tests with Banner. Thor managed to lock eyes with her for a moment, offering her a smile before watching her disappear into where Banner spent most of his time.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t heard genuine laughter in so long, but the sound of a single laugh that flew from the door before it closed behind them had Thor grinning stupidly at the closed door. “Who is she?” He asked quietly, dividing his gaze between Rogers and Stark. He couldn’t imagine she would appreciate him asking the question to her face, especially since he had been absent for so long.

---

Astrid managed to pull her gaze from the ground as Prince Loki replied, drawing in a deep breath of air as he replied. She was about to force herself to return the smile, but then she noted him glancing toward her gown and frowning a bit. Perhaps she should have taken more care with her appearance before approaching him. She didn’t think it matter much, her outward countenance, what with everything had happened, but Loki could seem the sort that would judge her based upon it.

His next question, however, had her thinking that maybe he was not judging her as harshly as she thought. Astrid followed his movements as he stood before her, noting just how much taller he was than her. He was far more intimidating now that he was standing. “No, your highness, I do not need anything,” she replied quietly. “Thank you for the offer, though.” A strong breeze blew past them, pushing a few strands of her into her face, which she promptly tucked behind her ear. At his next question, she went still, eyes slowly casting themselves downward as her lips pressed together tightly. “I have no one,” she said, tears filling her eyes, but not falling. Her lips parted as she drew in a shaky breath of air. “But I do not need anyone to watch after me. Not any more.”

@ salander.

Tony watched Thor as he turned his gaze to Victoria, and shook his head sternly once he saw that grin on his face. "Nope. Uh uh. She's off limits, buddy. Go sow your Asgardian oats somewhere else." He said sternly as he finished putting together his coffee.

"I think what Tony means," Steve said, watching as Tony came up to them, sipping his coffee. "is that he thinks it would be dangerous if the two of you were to interact."

"Dangerous? Do you consider the possibility of her getting a hold of the literal God of Thunder's powers dangerous, when she can't control it? I sure do." Tony commented, watching Thor over the rim of his cup as he chugged his drink. "Once we get a handle on her, sure, then you two can hang out, but until then, you should stay away." He said before turning and heading into the lab with Bruce.

Steve sighed, shaking his head. "He just doesn't wan things to get out of control.. Doesn't want anyone getting hurt, that's why he's being so hard about the no interaction rule." He explained, watching as Victoria wen through the various scans and testing that Bruce and Tony conducted, the young woman putting up with all of their poking and prodding for almost an hour before they released her from their testing,. As they walked out of the lab, Tony suggested that she have a combat training session from Steve after she had something for lunch, wanting her to be prepared in case of a fight.

Victoria thanked him for the offer, smiling politely at the billionaire. "That would be kind, thank you. Where do you suggest I eat my lunch? I don't want to be in anyone's way.." She spoke, fidgeting with the gloves in her hands, having yet to put them back on.

----

Loki frowned at her answers, especially the one involving not needing anyone to look after her. He sighed a little, resting a hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring, something that didn't come naturally to him, but he'd had to perfect the skill over the past few weeks. "Take it from someone who tried to believe differently for a long time, you will always need someone to look after you, whether you like it or not." He offered her a kind, sympathetic smile, something unusual for the prince.

He had felt alone most of his life, always in the shadow of his brother, and had felt especially low after his mother's death. He could tell that she must have lost a loved one, someone very close to her, and could sympathize with her pain, having gone through the same not that long ago, first with his mother, and then with his father.